Hardware Zalman ZM-MFC2 Multi Fan Controller

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2007/11/25/zalman_multi_fan_controller/1

Zalman reinvents the fan controller - transforming it from something boring and unappealing into a sleek, multifunctional panel with a cool looking LCD display. But what if it's all bling and no follow through?

 

Too bad...It looks amazing, and I might have bought it if not for that.

 

I were nearly buying this thing once! I'm really happy I didn't...
It sure looks cool and the idea is great but if the LCD panel is that bad it's not worth the money.

 

Damn, I was all set to buy this little beauty, shame its naff. Oh well I guess I'll spluge the £35 on something else then.

 

Once they fix it I'll be sure to tell you then

 

tbh i'd probably have bought it despite the viewing angle if it had OS level recording. But then i'm a sucker for statistics and graphs.

 

whilst it looks great and appeals to the exhbitionist crowd in the computer world, a few years ago a bought the Akasa AK FC-03 Fan Controller Pro and it tells me fan speed, tempartures if i wanted to connect the temp nodes (x4) and has the usual fan failing alarm system etc and in my opinion as a 'practical application' is much better than the zalman one reviewed, plus the 4 knobs make it easier to turn all 4 fans (2x120mm hdd cooling, 1x 120mmcpu cooler, 1x120mm GPU cooler) to max when gaming really quickly and easily, the zalman wouldnt appear to be quicte so quick as control has to be shifted to each fan through one control knob.

As for viewing angle that is resticted slightly as the screen is set back some 5-8mm so the facia gets in the way but there are no magic 8's to be seen at all.

IMO the akasa is better for £30, but if you solely want something that looks nicer the zalman is the obvious choice, but for doing what it says on the tin i'd favour the AKASA due to a delightful experience (as much as that is possible with a fan speed controller )

@Bit-tech staffing - Might it be worth the bit-tech review possy checking out these one's...
http://www.kustompcs.co.uk/acatalog/Automated_Fan_Controllers.html
the mCubed T Balancer BigNG ones as i was interested in knowing if they are anygood at all as they can be hidden behind a facia this leaving the front of a pc nice and sleek. And i think i read that they can be used to regulate the water pump on a water cooled system also...interesting, but is the hardware/software combination reliable and/or worth the money, who knows?

peace

 

I found that only the cheap fan controllers actually work. After trying out one of those piece of crap ultra fan commanders, which I read good reviews for, it was complete crap. I thought I was going to crush the thing putting it in and when I got it working one of the buttons broke the first time I tried using it, this is after I realized the poor build quality and took extra care not to smash the thing. And then it kept crashing, freezing up and shutting off all your fans. It didn't matter how long you computer was on but it would just stop without any warning, your case temperatures would skyrocket and if you didn't have your cpu fan plugged direct to the motherboard then things would get really really hot.

I found since then that all fan controllers are crap and at least not to get anything that can actually shut off your fans or even worse your cpu fan. I suspect that this will have the same problems as my fan commander and that its not worth it.

 

The last Vadim we looked at had one of these in, it needs to be properly configured to work right (theirs wasnt) but once it does work it's arguably the best out there. It was regulating the entire water and fan system

 

How about keeping one for case reviews? that way we can find out how the tool-less cases handle half length bay devices...

 

I like my NZXT Sentry, same sort of deal, but more readable

 

Was going to get this a week ago, so glad I didn't.
The viewing angle is just pants.

 

thats a real shame.... i need a fan controller too.

 

There are literally dozens of others to choose from... including the original ZM-MFC1 +/or ZM-MFC1 Plus

 

Why do I keep looking at it and thinking that it would be good to have a volume control included as a function for the dial, and play back info for music?

Anywho, I was tempted by this like many others to replace my akasa controller, but it looks like i'll still be some time before a replacement..

 

Big fan of the T-Balancer aye. Got to admit that the software is a bit buggy, and it's a pain to get it setup... But once it's done it's a really good fan controller you can forget about.

It doesn't have an LCD, but personally prefer a more software LCD Smartie type of setup... You just get a nicer design (in my option) and more usable output... Ach, beyond that, if you have time, even one of those modded PSOne screens is more useful and pretty in my opinion...

However, looks like a good attempt by Zalman to put something more consumer friendly together... shame about the viewing angle.

 

Slight mistake here, there is no -12V on the Molex... or is there???

I have never really seen the point in Fan controllers personally.

 

Well if you look at the shots from zalman here are they misleading custommers this way.

Are there any other fan controllers with 4 temp probes and avarage power wattage measuring?

 

Yep, I meant ground, there's no -12V on a molex.

Obi - no, that's why this is so disappointing: so much potential but it just fails on the one thing.

 

I did purchase the Zalman ZM-MFC2 controller and thought something was wrong with it until I read the review on this forum. Yes, the viewing angle is not the best especially if your computer is on a floor. I moved the Zalman to the top drive bay of my system and that seems to help. Once you get over the viewing angle issue, the unit is awesome. I like the fact that it has the power meter also and it does not require a software. Its well built and very easy to setup too. You can dial down your fans to the lowest (actually until they stop spinning) to regulate the noise level.